Pacific University and Whitworth University split a doubleheader – Pirates win game one, 14-9; Boxers win game two, 5-1 - on Saturday at Chuck Bafaro Stadium in Forest Grove.
On the season, the Boxers are now 8-7 overall and 4-1 in the Northwest Conference; whereas, the Pirates are now 11-4 overall and 4-1 in the Northwest Conference.
Game 1
Whitworth erased a two-run deficit with an eight-run fourth inning en route to an 8-7 win in game one.
The Pirates managed to out hit the Boxers by a 14-9 margin in game one. Right fielder Jaxen Sweum paced the offense with four hits to go along with two runs and two hits.
The Boxers went ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first on a two-RBI double by
Ryan Krout. Plus, the Boxers'
Ian Blair and
Jordan Hara each had two hits in the loss.
Trailing 8-2 in the fifth inning, Pacific cut into the deficit with a four-run inning. Two of the runs came in on a two-RBI single by Hara. The Boxers mounted another threat in the seventh on a RBI single by Morgan.
Game 2
Tanner Johnson went 4-for-4 in the nightcap to help hand the Pirates of Whitworth its first loss in conference play.
For the eighth time in 15 games, Pacific pounded out double-digit hits en route to a 5-1 win in the second game of the twinbill. The Boxers recorded 11 hits in the win, including a 4-for-4 evening from
Tanner Johnson.
Boxers' starting pitcher
Tyler Nakata raised his record to 2-1 with a 5.1 inning stint before handing the ball off to teammate
Tyler Oscarson, who shut down the Pirates with six strikeouts and allowed just two hits for the final 3.2 innings for the save.
The nightcap saw the Boxers have another hot start with a four-run first inning. Pacific sent eight batters to the plate against Whitworth starter Matthew Young, a senior from Tigard. Among the three hits in the inning was a two-RBI double by Krout.
Whitworth got a run in the top of the fifth but the Boxers got the run back in its half of the inning courtesy of some alert base running by junior
Chase Anderson. After back to back singles by Anderson and Krout to start the inning, Hara moved the runners up a base on a sacrifice bunt. Then, with one out, Drew Thomas hit a foul ball that the Pirates second baseman came into foul territory to make a great catch but an alert Anderson found home uncovered on the plate to put the Boxers ahead 5-1.
The two teams will wrap up the weekend series with a noon contest on Sunday.
